Burundian Soldiers Kill Rebels

Thirty-one suspected rebels were killed by Burundian soldiers while another 170 were detained in Burundi’s northern forested area while acting on information about armed rebels in the region bordering Rwanda.

This is a part of the unrest that Burundi has been facing since the announcement in April by President Pierre Nkurunziza that he would be running for a third term despite the constitution restricting this. Since then, an outcry by opponents through failed coups and protests have left seventy-seven Burundians dead, 100,000 refugees fleeing to neighboring countries and a number of high ranking officials escaping Burundi as they fear for the retaliation by the people against the President’s violation of the constitution.

The United Nations is currently concerned that East African nations are highly at risk of falling back into violence with this decision despite it being ten years since the 2005 peace accord that ended a twelve year civil war that occurred alongside the aftermath of the Rwandan genocide in 1994.

About Emily Hersey

Emily is an African Studies and History student who loves reading, the gym, hip hop and horses. If she's not working on her latest research project, she's definitely working towards her next trip to South Africa and doing her Master's degree there.
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